Tag Archives: Employee Engagement

Mind The Skill Gap: How To Expand Talent In Cybersecurity

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The modern cybersecurity industry has been the subject of much attention in recent years as threats to businesses large and small continue to mount. Even outside of the industry, business experts have correctly concluded that more measures are necessary to counteract aging infrastructure and an increase in possible attack surfaces. The interest exists, but what doesn’t exist is enough personnel to fill the myriad jobs in cybersecurity. And this problem is only expected to get worse as time goes on, with the number of new professionals eclipsed by how much their talents are needed.

The discrepancy in cybersecurity is often blamed on the failure of universities to provide the courses necessary to train the next generation of experts. While this is a noted problem, it is only one of many. The same cybersecurity professionals who scoff at formalized education in the field are often unwilling to invest the resources into training others within their organization, instead preferring to solicit existing talent from other businesses. Though there is significant work involved when it comes to building a reliable team, the reward of cultivating new talent is preferable to poaching the old and widening the skill gap further. It’s a sacrifice, but one that must be made if the industry is to be sustainable moving forward.

The other advantage of in-house training is the integration of cybersecurity practices throughout all of a business’s processes. Too often, organizations view these tools as afterthoughts to be stapled at the end of every project. The reality here is that new systems, products, and infrastructure should be created with cybersecurity in mind. Training and apprenticeship programs provide enough personnel to adequately address anything new coming through the pipeline. This carries the added benefit of allowing new entrants in the industry to receive a hands-on experience with a variety of systems.

And, if a company doesn’t have any place to start when it comes to building in-house cybersecurity firms, a third-party organization can help. These companies can provide support for companies that don’t have the resources to train new experts and build the start of a good security culture. However, even dedicated cybersecurity organizations should be mindful of their practices when it comes to recruiting vs. fostering talent.

It’s also important to consider the kind of training that is being given to aspiring cybersecurity experts. The best way to handle cybersecurity is to start with the broad strokes—the compliance laws that it is absolutely vital that any professional knows. In many cybersecurity courses, emphasis is placed on the products that businesses can use to combat threats. This leads to experts with very specialized knowledge of a specific solution, rather than knowing many brand-agnostic solutions or the compliance standards that underpin the whole industry. Consultants should be neutral when it comes to recommending solutions and find whatever suits an organization’s needs.

The future of cybersecurity will need to be collaborative. Between academic organizations selling their programs to business organizations offering opportunities for interested professionals to learn, a lot needs to change about how new talent is cultivated. In the future, expect to see a new generation of experts that know compliance law inside and out—and that are focused on spreading their best practices to others.

 

 

Cloud Implementation: A Business-Wide Approach

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I’ve written multiple articles about different facets of implementing the cloud, and it’s a worthy topic to continue to discuss. With any office, different challenges in implementation present themselves, and it can be all too easy to write off hurdles as a job for IT and proceed with business as usual.

The fact is, this approach is impractical at best and downright dangerous at worst. The cloud has instituted a revelation in terms of how data is stored and distributed, and it is up to businesses to involve employees in the adoption process. Doing so can confer sizable benefits in the long run; not only will they be more inclined to use the cloud safely, but the knowledge that they gain can lead to better productivity and perhaps even system improvements in the future.

Now, the main point behind cloud implementation is to benefit a business in some way. A formal ROI assessment is necessary when it comes to deciding the extent to which a business adopts the cloud. Implementation must align with business strategy, so it only makes sense to properly educate employees on its usage. After all, a business strategy in any other silo would warrant distributing proper information to employees. Doing so it about transparency as much as it is about practicality.

The cloud is often adopted to streamline common business practices such as marketing, finance, and manufacturing, along with countless others. However, often, employees won’t change much about their daily routines in response to the addition of cloud services. Protocols need to be updated alongside a shift in technology. Innovation in a company only really works if everyone is involved, and it is much easier to support a mass education effort than to individually instruct anybody that may benefit from cloud usage.

Another aspect of the advent of cloud computing is the breakdown of lines between system administration and users. New roles, even among non-IT staff, can help iron out problems and confusion while freeing up more time to focus on improvements and innovation. Consider executing interdisciplinary programs that give certain departments training to better prepare them for upcoming cloud changes. It’ll help streamline implementation and keep your company on the bleeding edge of competition. A great starting point is to identify employees that have a strong understanding of technology and offer to involve them in the adoption process and pass off their newfound knowledge to others in their departments.

But, even with education, cloud adoption initiatives can fall flat if there is no solid platform for employees to use the cloud. Consider skill levels and familiarity with technology when choosing a platform, as you’ll want UI and functionality that is easy to understand among employees of all skill levels.

There’s a shift coming in terms of what the next generation will need to be prepared for when joining the workforce. Given the popularity of the cloud, universities in countries such as India have had the foresight to give students some level of education in its use, making them more valuable to the companies they go on to work for. In companies working to implement this new technology, they would do well to follow this example, updating employee practices along with infrastructure to foster positive change.

How to Teach Employees Cloud Security

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Businesses have worked hard in recent years to bring their IT infrastructure in line with cloud best practices, but security is still an ever-present issue. It can be hard to regulate all of the data shared over the cloud, and information is always being updated. It seems, in many ways, like a zero-sum game—but given the amount of sensitive data freely shared over the cloud, it is still valuable to ensure that employees at your company are informed of the ways that they can practice good cloud security.

Training has multiple benefits; not only can it prevent sensitive data from leaking, but instructing employees on the finer points of VPNs and WiFi as well can dispel myths about the technology and ward against future mishaps. If you are a cloud professional, consider collaborating to set up a training program with other relevant IT staff. If your office lacks a reliable source of knowledge and you use an external provider for cloud services, inquire about the viability of a training program and work with them to reach a suitable arrangement.

The first thing to understand about cloud security is that it involves everyone in the office, not just IT staff. Pay special attention to anyone handling sensitive information; they may need extra instruction in this area. It may seem difficult to educate non-IT staff on the intricacies of the cloud, but in reality, there’s a lot that they can do to improve security on an individual level. Teach them how to avoid malware and unauthorized applications, and give them the resources to create strong passwords.

When training, it is of the utmost importance to impart onto employees that action is taken immediately. Companies cannot afford to take a reactive stance when it comes to cybersecurity, as a data breach can cost dearly in capital, time, and reputation. Often, once data is gone, there is no retrieving it. For businesses pursuing training, they should incentivize it and discuss the benefits that it brings. While it may take time out of their normal work schedules, a better understanding of cloud sharing can improve efficiency in the long run.

It is also important, when planning a training program, to ease employees into cloud usage with practical applications. Use a simple site or API to highlight how the cloud can be used to make it more efficient, and how it can safely be used. Keep in mind that employees will have different learning styles, and strive to offer supplemental guides and videos to allow them to fill gaps in their knowledge.

To go along with training, companies should take the time to reevaluate their cloud permissions, and which employees make use of it. Cloud protocol should be integrated into a company’s policies; don’t just make it a suggestion by way of training, but identify areas that can unwittingly be breached from within and work to fix them and mitigate the risk.

It can be difficult to get staff to comply with these changes. After all, for the average employee, much of it will seem sudden and difficult to understand. Understand and listen to your staff’s concerns about learning this new technology and empathize with them; if something in a training program isn’t working, you should consider working with them to fix the problem. Get them to apply what they’ve learned to practical office problems, and demonstrate their knowledge. Many compliance laws will require demonstration that employees have learned the material, so be cognizant about the steps you will need to take to fully comply.

In addition, it will be necessary to update training every year or so. It may sound like drudgery, but with security concerns changing by the day, your staff will need to stay up to date on the best ways to keep data secure. For IT staff, this obligation may be even more extensive, requiring consistent research into recent attacks and best practices for security.

With cloud migration continuing unabated, it is valuable for any company to educate their employees on its proper use. It affects all aspects of business, which could potentially be problematic for individuals not trained in using it in a secure manner. The sooner businesses embrace cloud education for their employees, the sooner they can adopt new changes and continue to leverage the cloud and its myriad of benefits.

Transcendent Transparency—How to Win Customers And Keep Employees Happy

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Transparency in Business

Transparency is a buzzword that has been thrown around in the business world for years. Frequently, “transparency” initiatives have amounted to simple ploys designed to capture an audience’s attention through honesty. While it’s true that honesty is certainly an excellent business practice, genuine transparency goes beyond coming clean about shortcomings; it is about building a relationship with both employee and customer to the benefit of all involved.

In a world where branding shapes the way consumers shop and perceive businesses, it is more important than ever for companies to actively cultivate their reputations. Additionally, the plethora of information available online means that businesses are often at the mercy of those they serve, potentially laid low by customer disgruntlement.

Now, building a brand means also building a relationship with stakeholders, be they investors or customers. Withholding information is largely no longer viable, and may in fact earn a business the ire of those that believe it has something to hide. To thrive, companies must recognize that public opinion of themselves will be easily accessible through the Internet and adapt accordingly.

Often, transparency is used in a reconciliatory fashion—in the wake of a scandal or crisis. However, if a business only starts being transparent at this point, they have lost much of their advantage. Businesses should be open about all of their dealings, from the good to the bad. This has obvious advantages when combatting negative propaganda, but can foster internal loyalty as well. Any employee that feels as if their company is forthcoming about their work is generally happier and more satisfied with their job.

And this honesty is not limited to within the business—supply chain and external labor transparency can go a long way to giving a company credibility. This is the first step to creating a relationship with stakeholders. Businesses should give any interested individual the opportunity to speak about their concerns and listen to what they have to say. There is, of course, a lot to address here, but social media presences are a good place to start to cultivate two-way communication.

The great part about transparent relationships is that it makes a company more forgivable—even if the company in question is always morally upstanding, mistakes can happen, and effective communication can help limit the damage that any sort of incident can cause. This sort of behavior is increasingly becoming an expectation for modern businesses; to the point where a lack of communication can be more damning for them than any mistakes they have actually made.

Additionally, communication methods can be just as important as the message itself. Reports shouldn’t be mired in fluff and jargon; they should be simple, straightforward, and informative. Communications can also take unconventional forms; businesses can potentially encourage face-to-face visits in their offices or participate in community events. Social media is also helpful when it comes to keeping an audience updated; even if a company posts a mix of business updates and relevant content, they are still informing their subscribers that they are keeping abreast of the industry.

And, perhaps most important, companies should not hesitate to expand relationships whenever possible, in keeping with the needs of the audience or target market. The concept of transparency is often associated with rectifying mistakes, but in reality, that’s just a fortunate side effect—it’s about positioning a business in a way that empowers others to participate in the process.                                                                                                                            

What Do Millennials Really Want at Work?

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What Do Millennials Really Want at Work- by Scott Maurice

Over the years, Millennials have acquired a unique reputation in the workforce. They are often seen as entitled, easily distracted, job-hoppers, and sometimes even lazy. That said, they’re also seen as highly-adaptable to change and innovation, motivated when it comes to defining their own sense of purpose, and of course, technologically advanced because they have grown up in a more digitized environment than anyone who came before them.

Because Millennials are our future, and they do have a lot of great things to offer, companies from all over the world have become obsessed with understanding Millennials better. This fascination has lead to a wealth of published research, sweeping HR trends, and even the rise of consulting firms claiming to specialize in the work-related behaviors of this unique generation.

But the truth is, there really isn’t a meaningful difference between Millennials and employees belonging to other generations. Aside from differences that naturally exists between employees who are in different stages of their lives, Millennials and employees of others generations want the same things at work (professional growth, proper pay, praise, work-life balance, benefits, a good manager, etc.)

So why, you might be asking, do we continue to see an overwhelming amount of evidence “proving” that Millennials are different? First, let’s address whether or not the research being proliferated across the web is even valid.

When you really dive into studies claiming to confirm huge differences between Millennials and the rest of the workforce, you would be surprised by how many of them lack even a real comparison between Millennials and control groups from other generations. In fact, when two researchers from the University of Georgia, Thomas C. Reeves and Eunjung Oh, took it upon themselves to see if these published studies were trustworthy, they summarized these findings as “gross generalizations based on weak survey research” and further, they recommended that these “speculations of profit-oriented consultants should be treated with extreme caution.” In short, if you can delineate one generation from the rest, you create a niche that then someone can claim to specialize in and ultimately profit from. Why wouldn’t these types of consultants, specialists, and researchers want to continue this narrative? It’s what sets them apart from the competition!

The second reason these myths about Millennials in the workforce continue to exist is because at the end of the day, people will publish the most attention-grabbing research they can possibly find. Publishing something that basically confirms we’re all pretty much alike doesn’t sell as well as publishing a research study that clearly states the differences between you and me.

Lastly, and probably the most concerning reason why these myths continue to circulate, is because attributing workforce challenges to a generation allows companies to avoid confronting the bigger issues at hand head on, such as workload, fair financial reward, and career development.

So how alike are Millennials with other generation employees? There are plenty of examples to cite, and you should absolutely do some of your own research! But for now, here are three examples you can take a look at:

Study #1

George Washington University and the Department of Defense

This group of researchers analyzed more than 20 published and unpublished studies relating to possible generational differences between employees.

Conclusion: Small differences among employees were most likely attributable to life stage factors as opposed to what generation they belonged to. Moreover, “targeted organizational interventions addressing generational differences may not be effective.”

Study #2

IBM’s Institute for Business Value report “Myths, Exaggerations and Uncomfortable Truths: The Real Story Behind Millennials in the Workplace”

This was a multigenerational study composed of almost 1,800 employees 12 different countries and 6 different industries.

Conclusion: Approximately the same percentage of Millennials want to make a positive impact on their organization as Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. Differences were also minimal across nine other variables studied.

Study #3

2015 National Study commissioned by CNBC

This study analyzed the importance of six traits in a potential employer: ethics, environmental practices, work-life balance, profitability, diversity and reputation for hiring the best and brightest.

Conclusion: Millennials preferences were pretty much the same as everyone else’s. And contrary to popular belief about Millennials being hard to please, Millennials reported being more satisfied with the employee development they received than the rest of the population.

Final Thoughts

Instead of wasting more time and money trying to create perks and programs specially targeted towards Millennials, perhaps companies should refocus on bolstering areas that engage all employees.

The more we discuss the specific reasons why individual groups of employees seem to be unhappy, the more we also realize that we are looking for the same things: work that challenges us to grow, appreciation for a job well done, and respect for our lives outside of work. If some of your employees aren’t receiving these things, you’re going to see a lack of engagement and higher turnover in that part of your organization. It’s that simple.

According to research in The Human Capital Edge there are four key questions all employees assess before deciding whether to join an organization:

  1. Is this an organization I can be proud of?
  2. Will I be given the tools to maximize my performance at this job?
  3. Will I be treated well both financially and interpersonally?
  4. Will this job fulfill me?

If we begin doing everything we can to ensure that the majority of employees answer “yes” to these questions, we won’t need to keep talking about what Millennials really want at work.